Matteo Goffriller (1659–1742) was a Venetian luthier, particularly noted for the quality of his cellos. He was active between 1685–1735 and was the founder of the "Venetian School" of luthiers, during a time when Venice was one of the most important centers of musical activity in the world.
Biography Although it is known that Goffriller was born in Brixen, little else is known of him prior to 1685 in Venice. Goffriller arrived in Venice in 1685 to work for luthier Martin Kaiser (Caiser). In 1685 he married Martin Kaiser's daughter Maddalena Maria Kaiser (Caiser), at the Madonna delle Grazie in Venice; they had twelve children (five boys and seven girls) in 26 years. Francesco Goffriller, long thought to be his brother, is now known to have been his son.
He was the founder of the "Venetian School" of luthiers, when Venice was one of the most important centers of musical activity in the world, and is believed to have taught luthiers Domenico Montagnana and Francesco Gobetti in addition to his son Francesco. After arriving in Venice, he is noted for being the city's sole violin and cello maker for some 25 years, between 1685 and 1710.
He died in Venice in 1742.
Mistaken identities
Goffriller's cellos had been erroneously attributed in the past to the Guarneri family, Carlo Bergonzi or even Antonio Stradivari and were virtually unknown until the 1920s, when they began to be discovered. The 1733 Goffriller cello once owned by Pablo Casals was originally attributed to Bergonzi. His earliest authenticated instrument is a viola da gamba dated 1689.
Goffriller labels
The standard label for a Goffriller instrument, whether genuine or forged, uses the Latin inscription Mattheus Goffriller Fece in Venezia Anno [date], identifying maker, city (Venice) and year made; the date is either printed or handwritten. But he actually labeled only a small percentage of the instruments in order to avoid paying Venetian taxes.
Legacy Pablo Casals's Goffriller 1733 cello was his main concert instrument for most of his professional life. He acquired it in 1913 and played it until his death in 1973. Since 2000, winners of the International Pablo Casals Cello Competition in Kronberg, Germany may use it for two years.Claudio Bohórquez winner of "1. Internationaler Pablo-Casals-Wettbewerb der Kronberg Academy" 2000 (in German) Terence Weil played another Goffriller which had been used by Casals before the one he played between 1913 and 1973.Obituary Terence Weil The Independent, William Waterhouse, 9 March 1995
Other notable musicians who have used Goffriller instruments include:
Goffriller instruments
Violins Sobriquet Year Provenance Notes Goffriller violin 1695 currently played by Andrej Power Sammons 1696 Kenneth Sillitocurrently played by Beth Hafter Goffriller violin 1700 ex-Stopak currently played by Aaron Boyd Goffriller violin 1700 played by Alexander Yudkovsky since 2008 Goffriller violin ca. 1700 Stradivari Society played by Michala Høj ex-Sivori; ex-Lalo 1700 Goffriller violin 1700 played on by Jorja Fleezanis Goffriller violin 1700 played on by Fanny Clamagirand Goffriller violin 1702 played by Jaakko Kuusis Goffriller violin 1708 played by Jennifer Pike Goffriller violin ca. 1720 Alan Parmenter purchased in 2008 by an anonymous benefactor Goffriller violin 1720 played- by Yuri Torchinsky Goffriller violin 1722 stolen from violinist Charmian Gadd in 1999, subsequently recovered Goffriller Violin 1723 played by Amanda Favierhttp://www.amandafavier.com since 1996 Goffriller Violin 1730 the Counts of Colloredo Castle, Friuli
Violas Sobriquet Year Provenance Notes Goffriller viola 1727 ex-Walter Trampler measures 41 cm; currently played by Richard O'NeillThe Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center www.chambermusicsociety.org Goffriller viola 1700 Rachel Barton Pine Foundation instrument loan currently played by Emad ZolfaghariBiography of Matthew Lipman, Viola Instant Encore
Cellos Sobriquet Year Provenance Notes Goffriller cello 1689 Mischa Maisky currently played by Sevak Avanesyan Goffriller cello 1690 previously Sabatier, Axelrod, The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra labeled: Nicolas Amatus, previously played by Maria Kliegel Goffriller cello ca. 1700 Antonio Meneses Goffriller cello 1693 ex-Leonard Rose; ex-Alfredo Piatti on loan to Leonard Elschenbroich Goffriller cello 1693 labeled "Carlo Bergonzi" currently played by Bruno Philippe Goffriller cello 1693 Previously owned and played by Mischa Schneider of the Budapest String Quartet features a carved Rosette on the top, under the fingerboard; currently played by Zuill Bailey Goffriller cello 1695 played by Anner Bylsma Count Marcello 1697 Nicholas Anderson; Count Girolamo Marcello; Aldo Pais of Venice; Irving Klein Rosette 1698 Leslie Parnas features a carved rosette decoration Goffriller cello 1698 played by Andres Diaz Goffriller cello 1698 exhibited at the Landesmuseum Joanneum, Graz, Austria D'Archambeau ca. 1700 Iwan D'Archambeau played by Jonathan Miller of the Gramercy Trio, Boston Artists Ensemble, and formerly Boston Symphony Orchestra Goffriller cello 1700 Ex-Amadeus Quartet played by Christian-Pierre La Marca Goffriller cello 1701 played by Gautier Capuçon Garbousova 1703 Karl Fruh; Raya Garbousova (1930–1951) Comte de Gabriac 1703 currently played by Trey Lee The Star 1705 Janos Starker (1965) ex-Warburg 1706 played by François Kieffer (Modigliani Quartet) Goffriller cello 1707 Previously Hershel Gorodetzky (now Gordon), The Philadelphia Orchestra & Stringart Quartet. played by Eric Kim Goffriller cello 1708 Istituto della Pietà, Venice Goffriller cello 1710 played by Matt Haimovitz Goffriller cello 1710 played by Anthony Ross, principal cello, Minnesota Orchestra Goffriller cello 1710 played by Richard Hirschl, cellist, Chicago Symphony Orchestra Goffriller cello 1710 played by Xavier Phillips, French cellist Goffriller cello 1710 played by Alban Gerhardt, German cellist Goffriller cello 1711 played by Marc Coppey Goffriller cello 1712 Played by Christoph Croisé Goffriller cello 1715 Samsung Foundation of Culture played by Sara Sant'Ambrogio Goffriller cello 1715 Stradivari Society Goffriller cello 1717 Played by Marie Hallynck Goffriller cello 1720 Emanuel Feuermann played by Joseph Schuster Goffriller cello 1720 played by Bruno Delepelaire Goffriller cello 1720"ex-Lederlin" currently played by David Delacroix Goffriller cello 1722 Yo-Yo Ma played by Valentin ErbenGofriller cello1723ex-Piattiplayed by Arkady Orlovsky principal cello, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Goffriller cello 1722 played by Pierre Fournier ex-Cossmann 1726 played by Carl Fuchs, Jenska Slebos; once thought to be a Bergonzi. Saphir; ex-Harvey Shapiro 1727 currently played by Daniel Müller-Schott Goffriller cello 1728 Samuel Mayes currently played by Timothy Eddy Goffriller cello 1730-1735 “Maddalena” currently owned and played by Robert deMaine Gorrfiller cello1730 Johannes Goritzkicurrently played by Johannes Goritzki Guffy 1730 Johann Sebastian Paetsch played by Gunther Paetsch (1970–1985) ex-Pablo Casals 1733 Currently played by Amit Peled; played by Matt Haimovitz; played by Anne Gastinel; played by Claudio Bohorquez. Goffriller cello 1734 Nippon Violin currently played by Yuki Ito Goffriller cello 1735 Hermann Busch currently played by Matthias Naegele
Double basses Sobriquet Year Provenance Notes Benedetto Marcello 1712 exhibited in at the Venice Conservatory
References
Bibliography Violin and Lute makers of Venice 1640 -176 by Stefano Pio, Ed. Venice research, Venezia 2004 www.veniceresearch.com Journal of The Violin Society of America, VSA papers Vol. XXI, No. 1 “The Life and Work of Matteo Goffriller of Venice 1659–1742” by Stefano Pio.
External links
" Matteo Goffriller Cello" by the John Dilworth on the Amati website.